Are you using a tomato cage for your garden? These are round tomato cages that are wielded of heavy steel wires. They look similar to tomato towers, providing support for your tomato plants. But did you know that they can use for other plants as well?
But what plants can you use, in particular? A lot of people have questioned, “can you use tomato cages for cucumbers?”
If you’re planning to use tomato cages for cucumbers soon, read on to find out if it works!
Can You Use Tomato Cages For Cucumbers?
Tomato cages are a garden staple, with many gardeners owning one or two cages once the planting season begins. They are beneficial as they can lend your plants support, helping it grow and develop well until it’s time to harvest.
These are ideal for tomato plants, hence the name. However, did you know that you can grow other plants as well, including cucumbers?
Yes, you can use tomato cages for cucumbers!
Like tomatoes, these cages can keep cucumbers supported, providing it for tender vines while keeping your cucumbers away from the mud. In fact, growing your cucumbers vertically with a tomato cage has its advantages, such as:
- Cucumber plants are natural climbers with small tendrils that can grip various structures, actually wanting to grow vertically
- Many gardeners grow cucumbers vertically since it saves a lot of space in the garden, compared to simply leaving it to sprawl along your area. If sprawled, cucumber plants would require around 20 square feet of space, while planting them on tomato cage will allow them to grow up vertical support, taking up less than one square foot.
- Cucumber plants that spread and sprawl on the ground have a higher risk of bugs and overexposure to water, as well as fungal infections and plant diseases. When you lift them off the ground, tomato cages protect cucumber plants from slugs, pests, among other diseases.
- When you train cucumber plants to grow up a tomato cage, you get more fruit from every plant. This is because growing cucumber plants vertically would improve your plants’ living conditions, as well as find cucumbers ready for harvest rather than letting the plant run wild.
Growing Your Cucumbers With a Tomato Cage
Now that you know why tomato cages are beneficial for cucumber plants, how can you grow them properly? Here are some quick tips to follow:
- Just because they are growing vertically doesn’t mean you should stop focusing on the soil quality. Make sure that you have well-draining and slightly acidic soil with pH levels between 5.8 to 6.5, at temperatures between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Amend it with 1-2 inches of organic compost and sand for a nutrient-rich base for your cucumber plants.
- Make sure that you keep your cucumber plants watered well and keep it consistently moisture throughout the growing season, especially when the blooms start to appear and fruits set. Water your plants at least once a week, moistening the soil to a depth of around six inches, or more with sandy soil. To help moisten the ground, apply 1-2 inches of organic mulch.
- Train your cucumber plants to grow in a tomato cage by using your fingers, wrapping, and guiding the plant and vines. Continue to do this daily for the tomato cage to give the vines support it requires to grow upwards.
Do you want to learn more about growing cucumbers in a tomato cage? Check out this interesting video:
Wrapping It Up
When you want to grow cucumbers in tomato cages, it’s totally possible as long as you do it correctly. With the proper care and maintenance, you can reap the amazing benefits of tomato cages with your cucumbers. Just make sure that you select a sturdy tomato cage, and you can use it for more than just tomatoes and cucumbers in the future.
I hope that this article answered your question, “can you use tomato cages for cucumbers?” Now that you know the answer, try using tomato cages for your gardening and have fun!